Run: 2026-05-10-01KR91VHP9APKABDHE40VM6PJP

The air in the Alborn café smelled of cinnamon and damp wool, a stark contrast to the crisp, late-autumn bite outside. Marie sat by the window, her knuckles white as she cradled her DSLR, clicking through the digital previews with a trembling thumb. She startled when a shadow fell across her table. Hunter stood there, his heavy trench coat dusted with the local autumn soot. His face was a map of hard lines and military discipline, his jaw set as he pulled out a chair without asking. He didn’t want to be here, but his job left him no choice. "Miss?" Hunter began, his voice a gravelly monotone. "I’m Detective Hunter. I’ve been going through the witness list for last night’s disruption at the orchard. You were near the north gate around nine, right? Did you see anyone leave by the woods?" Marie looked up, her eyes wide, glassy with a terror that hadn't yet faded. She opened her mouth, the frantic rhythm of her native tongue spilling out before she could catch herself. *** **Voice Sheet** **Hunter:** "Miss? I’m Detective Hunter. I’ve been going through the witness list for last night’s disruption at the orchard. You were near the north gate around nine, right? Did you see anyone leave by the woods?" **Marie:** "Oh mon Dieu, monsieur... c’était horrible. Je ne comprenais pas ce qui se passait, les lumières dans les bois, le cri... mes mains tremblent encore. J'ai pris une photo, mais tout était flou, si sombre. C’était comme une ombre qui se déplaçait, une chose qui n'avait rien d'humain. Vous devez comprendre, je n'ai jamais eu aussi peur de ma vie !" **Hunter:** (Frowning, head tilted slightly, his eyes narrowing in genuine bewilderment) "...Right. Okay. So, that’s a ‘no’ on the English?" **Marie:** (Clutching the camera to her chest, her breath hitching) "S’il vous plaît, vous ne m’écoutez pas ? Il y avait quelqu’un là-bas ! Un homme avec un manteau sombre... il a disparu comme de la fumée. Vous me regardez comme si je parlais une langue étrangère, mais c'est vous qui ne voyez pas l'évidence !" **Hunter:** (Rubbing the bridge of his nose, exhaling a frustrated breath) "Look, I’m getting nothing here. I need a clear answer. Did you see a vehicle? A license plate? Point at something if you have to, just... talk to me." **Marie:** (Frantically typing on her phone’s translation app, but her fingers slip against the glass) "Je ne peux pas... ce n'est pas possible de traduire ça. La peur, monsieur, elle n'a pas besoin de dictionnaire. Regardez mes photos, regardez ce que j'ai vu !" **Hunter:** (His phone vibrates sharply in his pocket. He glances at the screen, his expression shifting from frustration to immediate, professional ice. He stands up abruptly.) "Damn it. Duty calls. Keep that camera right where I can find it, you hear me? Don’t leave town." **Marie:** "Attendez ! Monsieur, écoutez-moi ! Vous allez être en danger si vous allez là-bas, vous ne savez pas ce qui se cache dans ces pommiers !" **Hunter:** (Walking away toward the door without looking back) "Yeah, sure. I’ll make a note of it."